This disclosure relates to wireless energy transfer, also referred to as wireless power transmission.
Energy or power may be transferred wirelessly using a variety of techniques. Energy transfer techniques may be designed or tailored for specific applications, market areas, cost considerations, and the like. Energy transfer techniques may be based on different standards, protocols and/or operating parameters that may make interoperability between the different techniques difficult. In many applications, more than one technique or technology may be used. In some systems, support for more than one energy transfer technique may involve multiple separate and independent systems or additional complex and/or expensive components.
In one example, techniques for non-radiative wireless energy transfer may use different operating frequencies. A power source designed to support different wireless energy transfer techniques may include multiple separate systems for each technique (i.e. each frequency) the source is designed to support. In current designs, support for multiple techniques requires replication of similar hardware and components that are tailored for a specific frequency, protocol, technology, and the like of each technique. Replication of hardware increases the complexity and cost and may decrease the reliability of a system. A system designed to support multiple techniques may require multiple amplifiers and/or switches or control logic that may increase the cost and/or reduce the efficiency and reliability of the system.
Thus, what is needed are systems, devices, and method for supporting multiple techniques with reduced complexity and cost.